Community Work News

Metro area landfills have seen a 30% increase in garbage in the last year alone, and landfills are quickly running out of space. Dealing with more waste and fewer places to put it remains a major challenge for cities like Burnsville. 

In the land of 10,000 lakes, it’s easy to forget that much of southeastern Minnesota has very few. So, in Rochester the pools are where it’s at to beat the heat! Which is why it's important that as Rochester looks to invest in their amenities, the city consider not just how many people use the current park facilities like the pool, but who uses them.

Our field staff worked with select cities to secure their support for Clean Cars Minnesota, a set of vehicle emission standards designed to help clean up our air and bring more electric vehicles to Minnesota.

The story of one community's path to landmark legislation. Conservation Minnesota hosted a conversation with several board members from the White Bear Area Neighborhood Concerned Citizens Group (NCCG) about how a community can unite around a public health issue to impact state-wide legislation. With Conservation Minnesota, the NCCG played a crucial role in advocating for and pushing this policy across the finish line, and they brought together many stakeholders to find answers and make significant change beyond their own community. 

Local community action matters. This year’s legislative ban on Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a perfect example. Early in 2019, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) discovered that for many years a manufacturer in White Bear Township released TCE into the air at unsafe levels. Community members were outraged and began to organize, working to ban the chemical through legislative action. 

Minnesotans love our Great Outdoors, and we are willing to do what it takes to improve our favorite parks and open spaces. Dakota County is no exception. It is home to some of our most iconic examples of natural beauty here in our state—places like Lebanon Hills Regional Park, the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, Sand Coulee, and Whitetail Woods. As demand grows in Dakota County for more access to nature and parks, now is the time to start thinking about the future.